CHICAGO — Days after the shooting of a Jewish man in Chicago’s West Rogers Park, critics blasted Mayor Brandon Johnson for his lack of support and understanding of the Jewish community.
“No one has heard from either him or anybody in his administration, which is shameful,” David Goldenberg, who is the regional director at Anti-Defamation League Midwest, said during a Tuesday morning news conference.“We’ve been saying it over and over again since October 7. We need our mayor to step up, do more, and acknowledge what is happening here in Chicago,” said Yossi Held, the executive director of Stand With Us in the Midwest region.
By the end of the day, the Mayor’s Office posted a statement on the social media platform X/Twitter: “On behalf of Chicago, our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his loved ones from this weekend’s shooting incident that took place in Rogers Park. This tragic event should have never happened, and we recognize the dedication of our first responders who put their lives on the line during this shooting.“The Mayor’s Office is in close communication with the Chicago Police Department as the investigation continues. All Chicagoans deserve to feel safe and protected across the city. There is more work to be done, and we are committed to diligently improving community safety in every neighborhood.”
Chicago’s Jewish Community Relations Council quickly responded, also on X:“You failed to identify that the victim was a Jewish man, in a densely populated Jewish neighborhood, going to synagogue for Shabbat morning prayers. What will it take for you to acknowledge the Jewish community?”In contrast to Johnson’s comments, Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois posted a midday statement via X showing deep compassion for the Jewish people:“This attack on a Jewish man in Chicago during the Jewish holidays is unacceptable. Antisemitism is on the rise in America, and we must remain laser-focused on rooting it out. I stand with the Jewish community in Chicago and across the country.”This dialogue came days after Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, from Chicago, allegedly shot a 39-year-old man in the shoulder as he walked to synagogue on Saturday morning.“[The victim’s] a friend. He’s going to be okay by literally a miracle, but he has a road ahead of him,” said Shlomo Soroka, the director of government affairs at Agudath Israel of Illinois, who suggested the outcome could have been worse.“Every single week he goes to synagogue, he takes his girls with him, his little girls. This weekend he decided to go by himself. Could you imagine if those little girls were with him?” Soroka asked.Abdallahi is also accused of opening fire on responding police and paramedics. Officers shot and hit the suspect, who remains hospitalized. He faces six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and aggravated battery. He did not appear in court for a detention hearing on Tuesday, and the judge ordered him detained until he is able to do so.Goldenberg labeled the initial charges a “good start,” and while he expressed appreciation to the Chicago Police and other law enforcement agencies for their work on this case, he pushed for a thorough investigation and additional charges, saying that this would be an appropriate response.Since the incident, members of the Jewish community have demanded prosecutors file hate crime charges. According to Goldenberg, they have up to 30 days to upgrade the charges.He asked community members to show patience and thoughtfulness.“I urge our own community, regardless of the anger, the fear, the exhaustion, and the exasperation we all feel, myself included, to not use this incident as an excuse to spread hate toward others,” he said. “Engaging in evil speech will not make the situation better. It might feel good, but it will only pour gasoline on an already raging fire.”
Meanwhile, the fear in the community is significant.
“As a community, we are scared,” said Rabbi Levi Mostofsky, who is the executive director of the Chicago Rabbinical Council. “When a visibly Jewish individual, in an otherwise placid neighborhood, is shot unprovoked on his way to synagogue, we are terrorized.”Just last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released data indicating anti-Jewish hate crimes across the US increased by 63% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Although Jews make up only 2% of the US population, the report showed single-bias anti-Jewish hate crimes comprised 15% of all hate crimes.As a result, Goldenberg explained that the Jewish community has drastically increased security, creating a new experience for its youngest members.“Our children will not walk into a synagogue on a Shabbat service or a religious holiday without being greeted by armed security guards. That’s the Jewish experience in America today,” he said.